First-order phase transitions in repulsive rigid k-mers on two-dimensional lattices.

In a previous paper [F. Romá, A. J. Ramirez-Pastor, and J. L. Riccardo, Phys. Rev. B 72, 035444 (2005)], the critical behavior of repulsive rigid rods of length k (k-mers) on a square lattice at half coverage has been studied by using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The obtained results indicated that (1) the phase transition occurring in the system is a second-order phase transition for all adsorbate sizes k; and (2) the universality class of the transition changes from 2D Ising-type for monomers (k = 1) to an unknown universality class for k ≥ 2. In the present work, we revisit our previous results together with further numerical evidences, resulting from new extensive MC simulations based on an efficient exchange algorithm and using high-performance computational capabilities. In contrast to our previous conclusions (1) and (2), the new numerical calculations clearly support the occurrence of a first-order phase transition for k ≥ 2. In addition, a similar scenario was found for k-mers adsorbed on the triangular lattice at coverage k/(2k+1).